FY18 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP)

FY18 YOUTH HOMELESSNESS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM (YHDP)

Deadline Extended! Project Applications Due May 21, 12pm AZ time

TPCH seeks proposals from for housing and services specifically designed to advance the goals and aims of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program. A total of $4,108,265 over two years is available to achieve YHDP capacity-building priorities. Eligible project types include peer outreach and engagement, housing/service navigation and case management, flexible fund diversion, crisis transitional/bridge housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. The annual cost of projects awarded through YHDP funds will be eligible for renewal through the Continuum of Care Program at the end of the two-year demonstration program.

All projects must align with the vision, guiding principles, goals, objectives, and action steps of the approved Coordinated Community Plan to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness in Pima County. Applicants are encouraged to fully review the Plan and accompanying information available on our YHDP page.

TPCH will conduct two online orientation sessions for YHDP project applicants. These include a pre-proposal bidder's conference and collaboration roundtable. Participation in both sessions is strongly encouraged and will be factored into project evaluation and funding recommendations. If a project is unable to participate in the orientation sessions, a recording will be posted on this page for later viewing.

Request for Proposals and Application Materials

The full Request for Proposals, all required application materials, and resources for applicants are posted in the Documents Library at the bottom of this page.

TPCH issued an amendment to the Request for Proposals on May 14, 2020. Please see amendment in document library below and accompanying Indirect Cost Budget form. The Indirect Cost Budget form must be completed for all projects requesting Federal funds for indirect costs.

Please review the TPCH Coordinated Community Plan to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness and all application information and materials posted below.

Expand Your Project's Reach with AmeriCorps

Arizona Serve of Prescott College is available to assist applicants who are interested in expanding YHDP project capacity and impact through the participation of AmeriCorps VISTA and AmeriCorps State members.

June 19, 2020 - Draft Federal applications due in e-snaps for selected projects

June 29, 2020 - Final Federal applications due in e-snaps for selected projects

Note Regarding Virtual Participation: In light of the current situation regarding COVID-19, activities may be conducted virtually. All applications should arrange to be able to participate in online activities as needed. If assistance is needed to achieve this, please email tpch@tucsonaz.gov.

Per amendment issued May 14, 2020, applicants may apply for up to 120% of the amount available for each project type.

Peer Outreach, Engagement, and Advocacy

The YHDP team is committed to delivering on the promise of its vision to advance youth power and opportunity through meaningful partnerships. Toward this aim, YHDP funds will be used to employ peer youth engagement specialists to provide peer mentoring, support social and learning opportunities, and participate in peer outreach, navigation, and diversion services.

Project Type: Supportive Services Only, used as outreach and diversion/housing navigation (project may be combined with other Supportive Service Only project types to form a larger engagement, navigation, and diversion project).

Two-Year Budget: $156,000

Navigation and Case Management

The local youth homelessness response system has limited resources and capacity to support youth housing and service navigation. The few resources that exist are funded through aligned systems with limiting eligibility requirements (i.e. services available only to youth exiting child welfare or juvenile justice systems, youth enrolled in Medicaid-funded behavioral health services, etc.) YHDP Navigation and Case Management funds will offer dedicated housing/service navigation assistance for a broader population of youth experiencing homelessness in coordination with the TPCH Coordinated Entry system.

Target Population: Unaccompanied youth ages 18-24, including youth-headed family households. Youth under age 18 are provided similar services tailored to their circumstances through the local Safe Place program but will also be eligible for more intensive services through this project when necessary.

HUD Homeless Definitions: Categories 1, 2, 3 (up to 10%)*, and 4.

Project Type: Supportive Services Only, used as Housing Navigation (project may be combined with other Supportive Service Only project types to form a larger engagement, navigation, and diversion project).

Two-Year Budget: $250,000

Diversion Services

Limited dedicated diversion services within the region exist to quickly identify and prevent unsheltered homelessness and rapidly resolve sheltered homelessness among youth. Diversion services will include flexible fund assistance aimed at diverting youth into natural, supportive environments and other age-appropriate housing and service resources including but not limited to family reunification, kinship care, host homes, short-term shallow subsidy, and service linkage. If approved by HUD, these exceptions and conditions will increase the capacity of projects to successfully mitigate risk of homelessness and prevent housing assistance need among high-risk unstably housed youth.

Project Type: Supportive Services Only, used as Diversion (project may be combined with other Supportive Service Only project types to form a larger engagement, navigation, and diversion project).

Two-Year Budget: $422,671

Education and Employment Services

There are an abundance of well-resourced education and employment resources operating in the region; however, these systems are often overwhelming for youth experiencing homelessness for whom rigid access requirements and limited knowledge of available supports present challenges to engagement. YHDP funds will be used to support a community liaison providing individual assistance and navigation to support young people’s engagement in available education and employment programs.

Project Type: Supportive Services Only (project may be combined with other Supportive Service Only project types to form a larger engagement, navigation, and diversion project).

Two-Year Budget: $125,000

Crisis Transitional Housing

Limited crisis housing options exist tailored to the unique needs and characteristics of youth and young adults within the region. With insufficient longer-term transitional housing and permanent housing resources for youth to meet local needs, young people who have been prioritized for housing assistance may still spend months in sheltered and unsheltered homeless situations. YHDP funds will be used to launch a site-based crisis transitional/bridge housing program for unaccompanied youth ages 18-24 aimed at serving:

Young people who are at heightened vulnerability to exploitation and other risk factors on the streets and have been prioritized for permanent housing solutions but for whom units are not yet available.

Young people for whom short-term transitional housing is sufficient to meet immediate safety and stability needs until family reunification, kinship care, campus housing, mainstream voucher, self-sufficiency, or other stable housing arrangements can be secured.

Young people for whom additional staff support and shared housing is preferable to rental assistance programs.

Rapid Rehousing

Local gaps analysis and system modeling indicate that 248 additional units of rapid rehousing for youth are needed over the next five years to achieve the community’s goal of reaching functional zero in youth homelessness. YHDP funds will be used to advance this aim through the creation of at least 53 additional year-round units of rapid rehousing for youth.

Permanent Supportive Housing

Local gaps analysis and system modeling indicate that 94 additional units of rapid rehousing for youth are needed in the region over the next five years to achieve the community’s goal of reaching functional zero in youth homelessness. YHDP funds will be used to advance this aim through the creation of at least 14 additional year-round units of permanent supportive housing for youth.

Target Population: Unaccompanied and pregnant and parenting youth ages 18-24 with one or more disabilities who are experiencing chronic homelessness, meet HUD Dedicated Plus eligibility requirements, and/or are assessed as at highest vulnerability for chronic homelessness.

HUD Homeless Definitions: Category 1, 2, and 4.

Project Type: Permanent Supportive Housing (PH-PSH)

Two-Year Budget: $504,000

*Indicates a regulatory exception subject to HUD approval. Applications should be designed in such a way that funded projects remain viable and impactful regardless of whether the exceptions are approved.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, public housing authorities, local governments, community action agencies, and nonprofit housing assistance organizations. TPCH encourages organizations not currently receiving HUD Continuum of Care Program funds to apply.

As participants in a Federal demonstration project, YHDP applicants will be expected to enter into a binding cooperative agreement with TPCH. Applicants are required to participate in pre-award planning and on-going collaboration and cooperation with the TPCH Board, Youth Action Committee, and YHDP Change Teams as described in the Request for Proposals.

Questions?

Questions regarding this solicitation should be sent to tpch@tucsonaz.gov. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response.